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Major League Baseball’s 2014 season is officially in the books. The trophy’s been raised, the champagne poured, and all the gear is hung up for the year. It means baseball fans have to wait another six months to hear the crack of the bat and all of the great smells of the ballpark again. Meanwhile, the people at MLB Productions, Lionsgate, and A&E Home Video have made available for baseball fans everywhere a great way to get their baseball fix in the meantime. They have partnered to release Giants 2014 World Series Collector’s Edition. This box set is a viable candidate for every sports writer and sportscaster’s best new releases this year. The reasons for this are far more than any one person could ever discuss in a single setting. So this critic will attempt to discuss at least some of the reasons that this box set is a win itself for baseball fans regardless of their team allegiance. One reason that Giants 2014 World Series Collector’s Edition is a win is the fact that it presents every single inning of every game from the 2014 World Series. Within the context of each game, audiences can choose which inning to watch and whether to watch the top or bottom of said inning. This is the norm from Major League Baseball Productions. So it is especially nice to see that carried on in this box set. Another reason that audiences will enjoy this box set is its companion booklet. The companion booklet that comes with the Giants 2014 World Series Collector’s Edition offers a complete box score for each game. It also includes little tidbits about each game including not only the hits, .ERAs, etc. but even the games’ attendance and temperature at first pitch. It really is an in-depth companion for any hardcore baseball fan in the context of this set. Last but hardly least important worth noting of the Giants 2014 World Series Collector’s Edition is its audio settings. Audiences are not limited to just Fox’s broadcast team in following the game. Fans can watch the game and listen to the game through the call of the Royals Radio Network andthe Giants Radio Network. That trio of choices is offered in every one of the World Series games, not just one. Whether it be that choice of game audio, the set’s companion booklet, or the fact that all seven games are included in whole here, each factor plays its own important role in the success of the Giants 2014 World Series Collector’s Edition. Together, they make this box set a must have for any hardcore baseball fan regardless of their team allegiance.

The first and most important reason for the success of the Giants 2014 World Series Collector’s Edition is the fact that presented in this set is the complete seven-game 2014 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals. Not one game is left out. It even includes as a bonus for baseball fans, Game 5 of the National League Championship Series between the Giants and Cardinals. That was the game that boosted the Giants into the World Series. As with each of the World Series’ seven games, that game is also presented in its entirety. The fact that the series (and Game Five of the NLCS) is shown in its entirety is just the tip of the iceberg that makes the complete collection a bonus. MLB Productions has maintained its tradition of allowing audiences to choose the inning at which they want to start here. Not only that, but they can choose whether they want to start at the top or bottom of the given inning. This, too is something that MLB Productions has made a standard with each of its previous releases. So the fact that MLB Productions has continued that tradition here is a wonderful thing. It isn’t all that makes the Giants 2014 World Series Collector’s Edition a success. Audiences should also take into account the set’s companion booklet.

The companion booklet that comes with the Giants 2014 World Series Collector’s Edition is a perfect addition to the box set. It includes a complete, in-depth box score for each game. It doesn’t just give the standard score information such as .ERAs, runs, hits, etc. It also includes extra tidbits such as the game-time temperature at the time of each game’s first pitch, attendance at each game, and even specific details about certain players from both sides of the ball. It’s like having a full series program for those that could only take in the game from their living rooms and bedrooms. The fact that the people at MLB Productions would include this with the box set once again (it’s not the first time that MLB Productions has done this either) makes the box even more of a win.

The complete presentation of all seven games from the 2014 World Series is a key factor to the success of the Giants 2014 World Series Collector’s Edition. The set’s in-depth companion booklet makes the experience all the richer for baseball fans. That is because of the amount of information that is shared throughout the companion booklet. It is like having a program for those that couldn’t be at any of the games. The last factor that makes this box set a success is the trio of audio options for each game. Audiences are not relegated to listening only to Fox’s broadcast team. They are given the option of listening to the game through the call of the Royals Radio Network and the Giants Network. There are those people who actually admit to turning off a game’s audio on television and taking in the game through the call of their local radio affiliate. Now audiences can do just that without even having to turn on a radio. Again whether one is loyal to the Royals or Giants, audiences can experience the call of each game through the network of their choice. Even more impressive is that audiences can even switch between the two radio networks or Fox’s broadcast team throughout each game. They are not forced to listen to just one broadcast audio option within any game. That is a huge win for audiences even if they are not loyal to the Royals or Giants. That factor rounds out the entire box set and proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that this box set is a must have for every sports writer and sports caster around the country. It is just as much of a must have for any hardcore baseball fan regardless of team allegiance.

The full seven-game presentation of the Giants 2014 World Series Collector’s Edition and its in-depth companion booklet more than make this Blu-ray box set a must have for any lover of America’s past-time. The fact that audiences can choose the inning and half of said inning at which they start viewing makes the box set even more of a hit. The multi-functional audio options offered to audiences throughout the course of those seven-games makes the box set a grand slam (bad pun fully intended). It is available now and can be ordered online direct from MLB Productions’ website at http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?productId=51967736. More information on this and other releases from MLB Productions is available online at:

The New York Yankees are in the waning days of the team’s 2014 season. And along with the end of that season is the end of an era as Yankees great Derek Jeter is set to close out his Major League Baseball career, too. While this season has not exactly proven to be everything that Yankees loyalists had hoped for MLB Productions has given Yankees nation reason to look back after this season’s end and still have plenty to smile about thanks to the recent release of Baseball’s Greatest Games: New York Yankees® Postseason Heroics. This latest release continues a long-held tradition of excellence from Major League Baseball Productions as is evidenced throughout all four games contained in this set. The inclusion of four full games is central to the enjoyment of the presentation. That each game celebrates Jeter’s various accomplishments makes things even sweeter for fans. As with previous MLB Productions releases, audiences are given the option to start at the top or bottom of any of the games’ innings. They are not forced to sit through the whole game or even fast forward through to their key moments. It adds even more enjoyment to the overall presentation. And last but not least of all worth noting in this set is the collective video and audio mix in each episode. MLB productions includes a disclaimer before the game, noting that there may be some discrepancies at given points. But those discrepancies are few and far between. If anything, seeing the games as they were originally broadcast adds to a certain sense of nostalgia among viewers, whether or not they be Yankees loyalists. Each factor noted by itself is important to the whole in its own right. All three together make Baseball’s Greatest Games: New York Yankees® Postseason Heroics another welcome addition to the library of any Yankees loyalist and any true-blooded MLB fan Yankees loyalist or not.

Baseball’s Greatest Games: Yankees® Postseason Heroics is a welcome addition to the library of any Yankees loyalist and any true-blooded MLB fan Yankees loyalist or not. It is especially welcome being that New York’s season hasn’t exactly lived up to the hopes and expectations of the team or its fans. Luckily for fans, this four-disc set features four past Yankees games on which fans can look back and smile after the season’s end. The first of the games is Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS in which the Yankees faced off against the Baltimore Orioles. The second game takes fans forward four years to Game 4 of the 2000 World Series. The Yankees faced off against the Mets that year. The key moment of this game was Jeter’s leadoff home run against the Mets. The third game takes audiences another year forward to Game 3 of the 2001 ALDS. That year, the Yankees faced off against Oakland. After taking down Oakland, the Yankees moved on in 2001 to the World Series, in which the team took on Arizona for the championship. MLB Productions features Game 4 of that year’s World Series as the set’s closing game. As with the set’s other games, Jeter’s accomplishments are highlighted here, too. Of course it doesn’t focus solely on his achievements. Rather, the entire game is presented from the first pitch to the last. The commercials have been cleanly cut, again displaying that commitment to quality from MLB Productions. Simply put, with each game, audiences get the full game experience sans the commercial limitations. They can pause the game at any point that they choose so as to use the bathroom, get a couple cold ones, or anything else. All things considered here, it all proves just why the inclusion of the games and their inclusion in full at that is the central point of the set’s success.

The inclusion of four important recent Yankees games is central to the success of Baseball’s Greatest Games: Yankees® Postseason Heroics is central to the success of the set. Their inclusion in full and the fact that they are meant to highlight the accomplishments of the soon-to-be-retired Yankee great Derek Jeter makes it even more of a solid center to the set. Adding to the set’s success is the fact that once again, audiences are able to choose the inning at which they start each game. To be even more precise, audiences can choose whether they start at the top of an inning within a given game or at the top of said inning. So rather than be forced to sit through the whole game or fast forward through so much baseball, audiences can pick precisely where the game starts. So if viewers have to stop for any reason, they can just pop in the DVD, pick the inning (and its top or bottom) and go from there. If fast forwarding is still necessary, it won’t have to be but so much as a result of this inclusion. This is a standard that those at MLB Productions have maintained for years. So it is wonderful to see this standard maintained even here. It serves to make the set’s overall presentation even more enjoyable and a success.

MLB fans and Yankees fans alike will appreciate that those with MLB Productions took painstaking efforts to maintain the tradition of excellence established by the company with every one of its releases up to this point including this set. The games included in this set are presented in full. Audiences can once again choose the point at which they start giving games, whether the top or bottom of said inning(s). All of this taken into consideration, Baseball’s Greatest Games: Yankees® Postseason Heroics proves to offer plenty of enjoyment for MLB fans regardless of their team loyalty. There is still one more aspect of this set that makes it a joy for audiences. That last aspect is the fact that the games in this set are presented exactly as they were seen in their original broadcast(s). Game 1 of the team’s 1996 ALCS matchup against the Orioles was originally broadcast on NBC while the other three games were each broadcast on FOX. MLB Productions’ people covered their bases, including a disclaimer noting the potential issues with the games’ video. But the reality is the video looks just fine. As a matter of fact, seeing the games as they looked in their original airings brings back a wonderful sense of nostalgia for fans. Considering that this season hasn’t lived to the hopes and expectations of the team and its fans, that sense of nostalgia is especially welcome for the members of the Yankees nation. Together with the aforementioned aspects of the set, the presentation of each game from its original broadcast rounds out Baseball’s Greatest Games: Yankees® Postseason Heroics and makes it complete. It is one more reason that audiences, regardless of allegiance, will welcome this latest collection of games from MLB Productions and A&E Home Video.

MLB Productions and A&E Home Video have a long history together, releasing wonderful pieces of baseball’s history every year. Baseball’s Greatest Games: Yankees® Postseason Heroics is one more wonderful piece of that history. The inclusion of four games in their entirety proves that right off the top. That audiences can once more choose where they start viewing each game makes it even more of an enjoyable experience. And the still quality video and audio mix of all four games rounds out the entire set. All things considered, Baseball’s Greatest Games: Yankees® Postseason Heroics proves to be its own home run for any Yankees loyalist and any true-blooded baseball fan in general. It is available now in stores and online and can be ordered direct from The Lionsgate online store at http://www.lionsgateshop.com/product.asp?Id=31220&TitleParentId=9945. More information on this and other releases from Lionsgate and A&E Home Video is available online at:

Major League Baseball celebrated a very special anniversary early in 2013. On April 15th, 2013, fans and players of America’s Past Time celebrated the sixty-sixth anniversary of Brooklyn Dodgers great and groundbreaking player Jackie Robinson’s very first ever major league game. It was on April 15th, 1947 that Robinson broke the color barrier and became the first ever African-American to play major league baseball. Every year since that day, Major League Baseball has celebrated Jackie Robinson day on the anniversary of his first game. This year, the anniversary has been celebrated with more than just celebrations at baseball fields across the country. It was also celebrated with a major motion picture focusing on Robinson’s life and a documentary from Shout! Factory that was even more enjoyable than the prior. Now MLB Productions has joined in the celebration with its own documentary on Robinson. Whereas the previous releases focused largely on Robinson’s life, this latest release, Letters From Jackie: The Private Thoughts of Jackie Robinson focuses exactly on its title; Robinson’s own thoughts put to paper.

Letters From Jackie: The Private Thoughts of Jackie Robinson is a good companion piece to the previously released pair of works from Warner Brothers and Shout! Factory. The first thing that makes this documentary stand out is its run time. It comes in at just forty-five minutes long. This is not counting the end credits, either. Within that short time-span, the story presented moves at a relatively fast pace. It’s not too fast for viewers to keep up with the story, either. And within the context of the production, viewers will be moved to both laughter and tears, hearing Robinson’s words read.

The letters written by Jackie Robinson are both moving and at times entertaining. Most moving of all is the story of Robinson’s years-long communications with a young white fan, Ron Rabinovitz. The pen pals’ ongoing letter writing led to a friendship that transcended skin color and even religious backgrounds. It was a friendship based solely on two individuals’ love of the game of baseball. Rabinovitz himself even gets to share his thoughts on the letters shared between himself and Robinson. The fondness with which he remembers Robinson is both entertaining and moving. Audiences will be brought to smiles hearing Rabinovitz discuss Robinson actually taking him into the Dodgers’ locker room to meet his team mates at the time. He even presents the baseball signed by Robinson’s team mates. The really funny moment of that story is when Rabinovitz reveals that Robinson was so caught up in introducing his team mates to Rabinovitz and getting them to sign the ball, that he forgot to sign the ball himself. Rabinovitz adds, laughing that he didn’t mind because he had so many other items (noting the letters) signed by Robinson. Viewers even get to see Rabinovitz sharing his memories with one of today’s greats at the 2013 Jackie Robinson Day pre-game.

Rabinovitz shares so many wonderful memories of one of baseball’s greatest names though his interviews. Along with the stories are pictures of the pair posing together on the field. They help to add even more interest to the story of Robinson’s own thoughts on how he was viewed during his career. Those pictures aren’t the only ones shared throughout this near hour-long feature. Those charged with bringing the program to life also incorporated footage from The Jackie Robinson Story as well as footage from games that he played during his career. The footage shows both the good and bad of the people who came to the games to see Robinson play. That footage set against Robinson’s own thoughts on fan support and the lack thereof makes these moments even more interesting for any real baseball history buff.

Whether for the stories shared of Robinson by his family and friends or for the footage of the baseball legend’s career, baseball fans have plenty for which to root in this companion piece to the year’s previously released Robinson tributes. Audiences will of course find their own interesting and entertaining moments throughout the story. Being that Major League Baseball is coming up to the annual celebration of the halfway point of its season, thoughts will go back to one of the original All-Stars. And as thoughts go back to him, this latest story will make for another good look back at that legend in question. It will be available next Tuesday, July 16th. It can be ordered online at the MLB Productions store at http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?productId=21611606.

Anybody can play music fast and loud. But it takes a real musician to play music slowly and softly. That is the mantra of music teachers, students and musicians the world over. This is a mantra that believe it or not can also be applied to the game of baseball. One might ask one’s self in reading that, what do baseball and music have to do with one another, right? Simple. Just as any musician can play fast and loud, any pitcher in baseball can throw fast and hard. But just as it takes a true musician to play slowly and softly, it takes a true pitcher to throw a ball that to this day befuddles players on both sides of the bat. That is shown through the new baseball documentary, Knuckleball.

Knuckleball is more than just another documentary. It’s a documentary that presents two underdog figures who have overcome some big odds to become two of baseball’s most respected pitchers despite throwing what is considered one of the game’s least respected pitches. Those men are R.A. Dickey and Tim Wakefield. The pair’s rise to fame wasn’t an easy one. In the case of Dickey, he was shuffled up and down through baseball’s big leagues and the minors until he was ultimately given a chance by the New York Mets. On the other side, audiences are presented the story of fellow “knuckleballer” Tim Wakefield. Both men were doubted early on by their teams, managers and fans because of their pitch of choice. But through perseverance and respect for their craft, viewers see how the pair has helped to bring new respect to the pitch and to other pitchers that throw knuckleballs.

The story is told expertly by film makers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg. The pair culled footage of Dickey and Wakefield from both their professional careers and their formative years as youths. The pair’s professional footage comes courtesy of a partnership with Major League Baseball Productions. Their discussions with fellow “knuckleballers” Charlie Hough, Wilbur Wood, Jim Bouton, Tom Candiotti, and Phil Niekro are something resembling members of an elite fraternity. Audiences will enjoy these moments as members of two totally separate generations share their “war stories.” Dickey and Wakefield also share their own stories with the film makers. Their stories range from the humorous to the deeply emotional as they explain where they came from and the work put in to reach baseball’s highest level. Combined with the accompanying video profiling each man’s career, these stories are the highlights of this feature.

Some by now might be asking why they should have any interest in this documentary. Again, the answer is simple. It goes back to the documentary’s early minutes, when Newsday writer David Lennon references Americans’ desire for immediate gratification and higher speeds. They don’t want to see slow pitches. Lennon is right. There seems to be an ever increasing push for pitchers to throw faster than the last guy. But, in watching this feature, baseball fans will see why the knuckleball—and throwing the knuckleball–should be given as much credit as the fastball, curve or slider. It proves that the knuckleball is more than just a pitch and why throwing it is an art in itself. The pitcher is throwing, with a knuckleball, a pitch that forces the batter to second guess himself, much like a racer on the starting line at a drag strip does against his competitor. It’s a pitch that forces both sides to think and have full clarity of mind. A pitcher that can fake out a batter time and again with this pitch is a true pitcher. He isn’t just relying on being able to throw fast and hard. He is throwing a ball that takes true thought to deliver and to hit. And while the current generation of pitchers isn’t exactly chock full of “knuckleballers”, viewers will see in the bonus features that there is still another generation of pitchers ready to carry on the legacy of this pitch and those who threw it before them. And who knows? Maybe one day, baseball fans will see another documentary on this fabled not-so-fast-ball. And with that next documentary, it will be spoken of in far more respected terms.

MLB Productions’ latest home release is a good way to start off the New Year and a new season of baseball. MLB Superstars: Impact Players is an hour plus profile of some of Major League Baseball’s best up-and-coming players. It’s an easy to follow feature that takes audiences around the diamond focusing on the top players from both the American and National League without the unnecessary add-ons that one might see on a television take of the program. Though it was produced and edited much in the same vein of something one might see in the course of a pre-game show on MLB network or any network currently airing big league baseball.

Over the course of its near ninety-minute run time, audiences get profiles of young stars the likes of Prince Fielder, Joey Votto, Aroldis Champman, Stephen Strasburg, and many more. Their pedigrees are expertly illustrated through the eyes of those closest to them and to the game, including broadcasters, fellow and former teammates, and even managers and owners. It’s all set largely against the backdrop of the 2012 MLB All-Star Game. The video quality is top notch as each player’s profile is highlighted by footage of both their performance at the All-Star Game and through games that each has played. The footage was recorded and edited by Major League Baseball. So viewers naturally get professional quality footage. Viewers even get some more lighthearted moments as they get to hear audio of the players both before and during their games. That coupled with the profiles of fellow players, managers, and broadcasters will entertain and enlighten baseball fans, thus keeping them engaged throughout the program’s run-time.

This new DVD’s main feature makes for a great introduction to Major League Baseball’s 2013 season. It serves as a way to introduce viewers to baseball’s next generation of star athletes. As an added bonus, viewers also get a brief history of the players’ walk-offs. Also, Troy Tulowitzki, who is one of those up-and-comers, gets his own feature as does San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain. Cain’s pitching performance in the Giants’ first ever perfect game closes out the disc’s bonus features. That game and the footage from the disc’s other bonus features was also produced and edited by Major League Baseball. So audiences even get in these bonuses professional quality game footage and one more way to get hyped for a new season. Together with the disc’s main feature the bonuses and the main feature mix to make another release that is everything baseball fans have come to expect from MLB Productions. MLB Superstars: Impact Players is available now and can be ordered online at http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?productId=19148216.

The old year is almost out and the New Year is nearly here. For those who aren’t much for sports that just means it’s the start of a new year. For those who are lovers of the game, that means something completely different. It means the end of one sport’s season and the start of another. Any true lover of sports has noticed that as the old year comes to its end, the news surrounding the baseball world has been increasing once more. Right now, it’s mostly about some major trades. But as the calendar turns from one year to the next, the news will turn to America’s pastime even more. That means every baseball fan across the country will be counting the days until opening day. In celebration, MLB Productions and A&E Entertainment have given fans one more offering as they wait for the big day. That offering is the new single disc collection, MLB All-Time Bloopers.

MLB All-Time Bloopers is a laugh riot from start to finish. This near hour long presentation offers baseball’s legions loads of laughs. It offers audiences some of the game’s funniest moments both on the field and off. That also includes some of the most interesting antics not just from the players but the fans and even animals. Yes, even the animals make the blooper real in this brand new collection. Perhaps one of the funniest of the collection’s moments comes not from the players and animals, but from one certain celebrity. Fans even get some hilarious sound bites from the players own mouths from the sounds of the game. It all combines to make for plenty of laughs for those wanting to get their baseball fix during the offseason.

MLB All-Time Bloopers is separated nicely into about four different segments. It starts off with some of the funniest on-field moments from across the league and its history. From players hitting the outfield wall to running into each other and even making some really wild plays, it shows that for all the training that these professional athletes go through, even they are capable of making some of the game’s funniest moments. From there, it moves on to some of the funniest players in the game through the twentieth century. Prince Fielder gets some love, as do a number of other veteran athletes. One of the funniest moments comes when said veterans are profiled for their fan favorite rainy slip and slide moments. Others get their own moment in the limelight not so much for what they do on the field but for their clubhouse antics. One of those is a certain player streaking through an interview with his teammates. Thank goodness that was blurred out. Think that’s a wild blooper moment? Try the segment featuring the mascots of the game. That’s right, even the mascots get their own segment in this collection.

The players make for more than their share of entertainment throughout a season both for audiences and sports analysts. But the team mascots also make for their own share of laughs. And few have the resume of the one and only Philly Phanatic. This legendary mascot has more than enough material to make his own blooper reel. What fans do get to see here though, is a few snippets of the long running love/hate relationship between the Phanatic and Dodgers legend Tommy Lasorda. Apparently, there was one incident initiated by the Phanatic of which Lasorda was no fan. Fans will have to check out this DVD to find out what exactly that incident was. It’s an incident that will keep audiences laughing and talking even after watching it. The same thing applies for watching the fans and even “fan mascots.” Wait. Fan mascots? That’s right. While they’re not the official team mascots, the teams have their own “fan mascots” in the stands.

Football isn’t the only sport with “fan mascots.” Even baseball has this dedicated legion of fans. They will get out on top of the dugout and entertain the fans in order to get them worked up, cheering for their team. Some come just as themselves. Others come dressed to the nines in their full homemade regalia. And they all come with their own moves that get fans both at the games and watching on TV equally charged up thanks to their moves. Baseball fans will get to see all of that and so much more throughout the course of this laugh-a-minute presentation. As if what’s on this disc isn’t enough, fans will note in watching it that there are sure to be more volumes to come as the seasons roll on. That’s because even the show’s narrator notes it’s only the first volume. That’s not noted on the DVD’s case. But being that it is noted, fans can be sure that the 2013 season will bring its own share of bloopers. Until it starts though, this collection will put smiles on any fan’s face for nine innings and more. MLB All-Time Bloopers is available now. It can be ordered online direct via MLB Productions’ online store at http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13235967&cp=2366583.706121.

The 2012 Major League Baseball season is in the books, and the champs have officially been crowned. But fear not baseball fans. The 2013 season is right around the corner. December’s nearly over. With the end of the year, baseball fans will start hearing more news as teams start prepping for the first pitch of Spring training 2013. As fans await that first pitch, A&E Home Video and MLB Productions have partnered once again for what is truly a “giant” of a release both for fans of the World Series champs and of baseball in general. The release in question is the San Francisco Giants 2012 World Series Collector’s Edition.

The San Francisco Giants 2012 World Series Collector’s Edition is offered both on DVD and Blu-ray format, so as to not leave out anyone. This is a bonus right off the top for all baseball fans. Now there are those who have had their say about this new set, complaining about one game being omitted from the set, but what those people need to understand is that the inclusion of Game 5 of the team’s NLDS and NLCS were included in the set as each was the pivotal game in each series on the way to the team’s incredible sweep of the Tigers in the World Series. Keeping this in mind, both MLB Productions and A&E have done the right thing in assembling the set in its present setup. The inclusion of those two games makes for a nice setup to the team’s sweep of Detroit, which is profiled in its entirety in the set’s first four discs. And as has been the case with every previous MLB Productions release this year, these four games are just as exceptional as previous releases.

The collection of games included in this brand new set is exceptional in that complaints from others aside, both the World Series games and the NLDS and NLCS games are presented with the same standard set by both companies with previous releases. The games are contained within their own slimcases inside a larger box. Each slimcase contains all the information needed to easily follow the game. It is a program in itself for all intensive purposes. The inning by inning rundown is on the front of each game, while the inside of each case offers a full box score unlike anything that any newspaper or even sports broadcast could offer. True baseball fans will appreciate that the companies have maintained this standard.

That MLB Productions and A&E have maintained the high level of product quality is just one part of what makes its latest release so impressive for fans. Also making this set impressive for fans is the inclusion of the previously released single disc presentation of the team’s inclusion into the Baseball’s Greatest Games series in the form of its “First Perfect Game” presentation. Maybe someone already owns this on DVD. That’s fine. Having it in duplicate is just as good. That’s because God forbid something happens to one copy, having this in duplicate means that fans will have a backup copy of it. And for those who don’t already own this landmark game, then it’s all the more of a bonus to an already impressive baseball box set.

The bonus Baseball’s Greatest Games disc included in this set is just one of the bonuses that put the set over the top. It also includes a bonus disc with some of the team’s best moments. It includes highlights of some team members’ twenty-game hit streaks, and the moment in which it claimed this year’s NL West title, just to name a few highlights. Even presented in standard definition, it looks good. For those who own HDTV’s and Blu-ray players, it looks even better as the Blu-ray player will automatically up-convert this stand-alone DVD. Yet again, audiences are presented with a disc that’s more than just another disc. It is in its own way, one more true bonus to a set that’s already well worth the price. And combined with the remaining seven discs, it makes the entire eight-disc set one big out of the park home run to finish off the year for both MLB Productions and A&E Home Video and A&E Entertainment.